Beneath the Moon
by SlytherinFreake
Summary: After rescuing Severus, Harry learns much more about his former professor than he bargained for. Will friendship blossom, or will the animosity between the two be too much? Warnings inside!
1. Dealing with the Problem

**Title:** To the Moon  
><strong>Genre:<strong>Romance/Drama  
><strong>Pairings:<strong>Harry/Severus (main), Ron/Hermione (side), Draco/? (side)  
><strong>Rating:<strong>M, for future chapters  
><strong>Warnings:<strong>Complaint to HBP, Dead Dumbledore, Established relationship between Harry and Severus, Werewolves, Minor Ginny bashing, Supportive Weasleys, others will be added as they come up  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong>I don't own any recognizable characters, locations, or spells. That right belongs with JK Rowling and the others involved in the Harry Potter Universe. In addition, any recognizable lyrics are property of the artist and record company. I'm simply borrowing them for my pleasure, and yours.  
><strong>Summary:<strong>After rescuing Severus, Harry learns much more about his former professor than he bargained for. Will friendship blossom, or will the animosity between the two be too much?  
><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Italics are flashbacks, while italics within quotation marks are thoughts. And this is a plot bunny that popped up before work one night, so updates will be fairly sporadic.

* * *

><p>The sun came up on another blustery January morning, and the birds were all tucked away in their nests. The only creatures out and about at this point were a pair of quite large wolves.<p>

One was midnight black, except for a button sized pure white patch on this forehead and his piercing emerald green eyes. The other was a mottled grey, looking much like the castle walls behind them. His obsidians eyes started to become less feral as the moon sanks behind the forest.

Arc noticed that Gefhar was visibliy becoming subdued, so he changed back into his human form to help the wolf get back to his rooms in the near-by castle.

* * *

><p>After he tucked the other man into bed, and made sure a house elf would check up on him, Harry made his way to the Great Hall for breakfast while drinking a Pepper-up potion.<p>

As he took his seat, Professor McGonagall, the new Headmisstress, looked at him, worry evident in her features.

"Professor Snape will not be teaching today," Harry told her. "Last night was particularly rough on him. We remained on the grounds until just after sun up."

"I will get his classes taken care of," she said, matter of factly. "Yours as well, Harry."

"I'm fine to teach today, Minerva," Harry said, trying to stifle a yawn. "I drank a Pepper-up onmy way to breakfast."

"You were up all night helping Severus, young man. You are in no state to teach today," she replied, after he finished yawning. "Go and get some sleep, Harry."

"Alright, alright. If I come back for lunch, I'll teach my afternoon classes," Harry said, as he rose from his seat. "I'll keep you up to date on Severus as well."

"Have a good sleep, Harry," Minerva said, watching him turn and exit the hall.

"_Those boys deserve each other,_" she thought, a small smile on her face. "_How fortunate that Harry was the one to find Severus after he had been attacked."_

* * *

><p><em>Something inside him had warned of the danger of taking the trip on his own, but, as always, Severus decided to ignore his instincts. He had needed to get some potion supplies from a little known shop in the middle of nowhere, and he didn't feel comfortable taking anyone else there.<em>

_After he spent a couple of hours gathering the ingredients that he needed and paying for his purchases, Severus stepped out into the dark night. He wrapped his cloak around himself more tightly, against the chill of the wind. He began walking to the apparation point just beyond the village._

_As he walked, Severus thought he heard someone slowly walking behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, but only caught a glimpse of a cloak snapping around a corner. He began to walk faster, the person following him resuming their chase._

_Severus kept walking as he passed the apparation point, unwilling to stop and give his persuer a chance to catch up. He hadn't quite mastered the moving apparation, and was unwilling to try when his nerves were this frayed. As he continued to hear footsteps, he began to run._

_It was dark, and there was a tree fast approaching Severus as he ran from his persuers. He smacked into the wall hard, and fell clutching his left arm. Fortunately, he could tell that it was not broken, but his wrist was sprained. Unfortunately, the injury removed his awareness from the person fast approaching him._

_"Shit!" he shouted, as he felt teeth dig into his right shoulder. "Greyback, what do you want from me?"_

"_I'm to capture you for the Dark Lord," Greyback responded, after twisting his teeth to insure the wounds would remain open. "He doesn't care if you're wounded, though. I decided to have a little fun with you."_

"_You sick bastard," Severus said, silently casting a gently cleansing charm on his wound. "The Dark Lord knows that I am not his servant any longer. The mark is gone from my arm. He was furious when I officially left the ranks, but he would never have sent you after me."_

"_That's where you're wrong, Snape," Greyback sneered. "He was absolutely furious that you left, and he wanted to end you the night you left. Fortunately for you, Malfoy stepped in and convinced the Dark Lord to give you some time to 'come to your senses' as he put it. Unfortuneately, no one knew that Lucius would shortly pull the same stunt."_

_Suddenly, Greyback was sent flying as three spells hit him square in the back. Three sets of feet punded towards Severus, but only two continued passed him._

"_Oh, Severus! Did he get to you before we got here?" Harry asked, alarmed at the blood quickly staining Severus' white shirt. "We meant to get here sooner, but Ron was being a jerk about helping you."_

"_Unfortunately, Greyback has infected me," Severus said, sliently thankful that it was Harry that stopped to help him and not Granger. "I will undergo these transformations for the remainder of my life."_

"_I'm so sorry, Severus," Harry said, attempting to clean the wounds._

* * *

><p>Severus woke with a start as he felt the opposite side of his bed dip. He opened his eyes enough to see Harry slipping into bed next to him.<p>

"I feel as though I smashed headlong into the castle," the older man groaned, rolling onto his side to look at Harry.

"Last night was particularly rough on you, Sev," Harry said. "We left the castle just after curfew and didn't return until after sun up. And you were particularly feral last night. I had a few wounds to tend to after I got you into bed this morning."

Harry showed his arms to Severus, who noted the scars marring the flesh. He felt a pang of guilt, even though he could not control himself during the transformations.

"We should get some more sleep, Sev," Harry said, snuggling against Severus. "Minerva has our classes covered so we can recooperate."

"Alright, my Harry," Severus said, accepting the comforting weight of the younger man into his arms.

Both fell into a deep sleep with a small smile on their face.

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2:** I know I have a story out there that's half completed, but I lost my fire for that story. It's just not my cuppa anymore. However, I've got a pretty good feeling about this, so we'll see if I can finish this one, haha. Reviews and faves are awesome, and thanks for sticking with me.


	2. Tender Beginnings

A/N: Warnings and other info are contained in the header of Chapter 1!

* * *

><p>As Harry woke from his nap, he could feel the comforting weight of his lover on his right shoulder and draped over his midsection. He opened his eyes and smiled at the peaceful look on the other man's face.<p>

He wrapped his right arm around the other man ad let his mind wander to the night he had realized that he, Harry James Potter, was in love with one, Severus Tobias Snape.

* * *

><p><em>Ron, Hermione, and Harry were camped out in the Forest of Dean, on the Horcrux hunt.<em>

_As they were chatting amicably, the temperature fell noticeably._

"_Dementors?" Ron asked, vigorously rubbing his arms. "What the bloody hell are dementors doing out here?"_

"_Vold-You-Know-Who has probably given them free reign to roam wherever they want," Harry said, readying his wand. "I'll go get rid of them."_

"_Be careful, mate," Ron said. "Your patronus is easily the most recognizable in Britain."_

"_I'll be careful," Harry said, exiting the tent._

_He crept as close as he dared, and he readied his wand again._

"Here goes nothing..."_ he thought._

"_Expecto Patronum!" Harry cried, and he nearly lost concentration when a snake quickly emerged from his wand._

_Despite the change in appearance, his patronus had the desired effect, and the numerous dementors scattered as the great snake slithered toward them._

_After he felt the temperature return to normal, Harry realized that he hadn't thought of his parents to cast his patronus. Instead, he had thought about none other than Professor Severus Tobias Snape, the great, snarky Potions professor. That thought alone was enough to stop the 17 year old wizard in his tracks._

"Why the hell would I think about Severus?_" he thoguht, thoroughly confused._

_After a few minutes, Hermione poked her head out of the tent._

"_Are you alright, Harry?" she asked._

"_My patronus wasn't a stag," Harry said, shaking his head a bit. "And I didn't think about my parents to cast it..."_

"_Who did you think about, Harry?" Hermione asked, stepping out of the tent. "Was it Professor Snape?"_

"_Actually, yes, it was. And I think I've let my feelings finally come out," Harry said. "You remember how scared I was in school last year?"_

"_Every time Professor Snape looked at you, you had a rather frightened look on your face," she said, moving to stand next to her best friend. "I had wondered why he had suddenly started scaring you that much again."_

"_I think I'm in love with him, Hermione," Harry said, looking at her with a guarded expression._

"_Well, we've got Pig with us, why not send him a message? I can adjust the wards so that Pig can find us again," she said, a secret smile on her face._

_Despite his cool demeanor, Harry had been worrying her quite a lot lately. There were obviously other things on his mind, despite the serious nature of the task they had at hand. She had noticed that Harry and Professor Snape were getting on a lot better in the last few months of the school year._

"_I think I'll do that, Hermione," Harry said, shaking the young woman from her thoughts._

_She smiled as she thought of the happiness Harry would attain by getting Severus as his life partner._

* * *

><p>Harry pressed a kiss to the top of Severus' head before he gently unwound himself from the other man and cast a quick Tempus to check the time.<p>

"Eleven thirty," he muttered. "I've got half an hour before lunch starts."

Harry got out of bed and readied himself for his afternoon classes.

"Sev," Harry said, gently shaking the man. "I'm going to teach my afternoon classes, but you're to stay here and rest, okay?

"Can I send a message if I need you?" Severus asked, looking up at Harry groggily.

"Of course, Severus," Harry said, smiling a little. "I'm only a floo call away if you need me."

"Okay," Severus said, pulling the blankets back up around him.

Harry pressed another kiss to Severus' head, as he left the bedroom and headed to the Great Hall.

* * *

><p><strong>AN 2:** I know this is a pretty short chapter, but I'm working up to some longer ones in the future. I just have to get into a schedule in my hectic life, and I'll be able to devote more time to writing. Thanks for sticking with me, and please review!


	3. More In Depth

Harry entered the Great Hall shortly after the mid-day meal began. He could real the mild annoyed look on Minerva's face, though he wanted nothing more than to be teaching his students.

"I trust Severus is still in bed," Minerva said, passing a sheaf of parchment to him.

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said, leafing through the notes. "Sirius covered my 4th year Gryffindor and Slytherin class and he's still alive?"

"Of course, cub," Sirius said, leaning forward a bit. "Azkaban couldn't do me in, measly 4th years would have quite the challenge."

"At least Remus covered my advanced class," Harry said, still chuckling. "He's the one with the brains in that duo."

Harry heard an insulted grunt and felt a roll bounce off his cheek. He grinned, enjoying getting a rise out of Sirius.

"Enough, Padfoot," Remus said, after stifling his own snickering. "You know he learned some tricks from Severus.

The rest of the meal went well. Sirius calmed down just in time to leave the hall with Harry and Remus.

"Hey, thank you so much for covering my classes, you two," Harry said, as they approached his office. "I had a long night with Severus. This full moon seems to have affected him worse than the normal full moon."

Sirius gasped as Harry revealed his forearms, which were littered with fresh cuts and scabs.

"Harry, you need to be careful! You could be infected now," Remus said, worry evident in his voice.

"Nah, I'm naturally immune, Remus," Harry said, rolling his sleeves down carefully. "Apparently my dad's side of the family has been passing down a dormant gene or something, and it just manifested in me. And Sirius, Severus is more than worth the scratches I get when I'm helping him."

The group dashed to Harry's office door when they heard a weak voice calling from within.

"Harry, I need you..." Severus called, weakly.

"Cover my classes again? Owl me the notes, please," Harry said, stepping to his desk to grab his lesson plans.

* * *

><p>Severus did his best to keep himself from calling his younger lover. He had managed for about an hour before he felt that he needed his Harry.<p>

Wincing at the movement, Severus lowered himself into a crawling position and went over to the floo.

"Harry, I need you..." he called weakly, hoping he was heard.

"Severus, keep the connection open," Sirius called. "Harry is just grabbing his lesson plans for this afternoon, and he'll be through.

Severus nodded and pulled his head from the fire. Just as he leaned against the wall behind him, the connection flared and Harry tumbled out of the floo.

"What are you doing on the floor, Sev?" Harry asked, helping the older man back into bed.

"I needed you, and I felt unstable on my feet," Severus said, as he relaxed into the pillows.

"Alright," Harry said, making sure Severus was comfortable. "I'm going to call Poppy and have her take a look at you. Last night was exceptionally hard on you."

"No complaints," Severus wheezed. "I feel as though I was splinched multiple times..."

Harry turned back into their room, watching Severus fall into a fitful sleep.

* * *

><p><em>Potter had been a rather surprising helper as he attempted to return to Hogwarts. Severus would sneer and bark at the boy whenever help was offered, even though he usually accepted after a few moments.<em>

"_Really, professor," Harry said, after watching Severus struggle to walk one day. "If you would just let me help you, we could have been back at the castle already."_

"_I would be there already if you hadn't insisted on following me, you brat," Severus snapped, fed up with the younger male. "I am more than capable of caring for myself. I have survived 20-plus years in the service of two madmen, during which time I have sustained more than my fair share of injuries."_

_Harry looked confused at the mention of two madmen, but his expression turned stony when he realized who the second was._

"_I have no use for Dumbledore," he said, coldly. "He got sacked last year, anyway. He attempted to seduce me at the end of my 6th year. It took a while to prosecute him, because I was off taking care of some items that your first master thought no one else knew of. When I returned, I was able to confirm the rumors and get that old bastard sacked._

"_In light of the accusations surrounding Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall was appointed Headmistress. She'll do much more for the school than that old fraud ever did."_

_Harry sat on a nearby log after his rant. Severus was shocked to silence by the hatred in the young man's voice. He had never expected to hear a disparaging word against Dumbledore from him._

"_There is much to me that the majority of the people in my life haven't got a clue about," Harry said, pulling Severus from his thoughts. "I would rather like to find a person who has never seen my unwanted fame, but it seems that my quest will be fruitless once again."_

_Severus looked at the young man. He had taken on a look beyond his years. His hair was closely cropped, to be out of the way Severus assumed. The glasses were no longer a fixture on Harry's face, as the young man had magicked his eyesight to be perfect. Without the glasses, you could see the haunted look in the young man's eyes, presumably from immersing himself so completely in his quest to defeat Voldemort._

"_Well, Harry, it seems that you have somehow managed to mature beyond your years," Severus said, after an awkward silence. "I no longer resent you following me. Perhaps we could attempt to be friends."_

_If only Severus had known what he was in for...  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Severus seems to be exceptionally affected this moon because, I believe, it has been one year since he has been bitten," Madame Pomfrey said. "Unfortunately, I foresee him being unable to teach for the remainder of the week."<p>

Harry felt his shoulders fall, though he was unsure whether it was due to disappointment or exhaustion.

"I suggest you also consider taking at least one more day off, Harry," the mediwitch said. "You look rather haggard yourself."

Harry nodded, earning himself a rare smile from the grandmotherly witch.

"I've taken to staying with Severus while he's in his wolf form," Harry said, stifling a yawn. "Even his potion doesn't always help, though."

"Well, I have heard that the Werewolf infection, somehow, doesn't affect you, which is extremely lucky in your case," Poppy said, placing a few potions on Harry's bedside table. "Severus is a very difficult, yet passionate, man. You seem to know this already. That said, I'm sure he would feel horrible if he were to find out that he had inflicted his condition on you as well."

"St. Mungo's has already procured a fair amount of my blood, in hopes of isolating the gene that prevents the Werewolf infection from affecting me," Harry said, chuckling. "I'm one-of-a-kind."

"I'd suggest you get some rest, Harry," Poppy said, putting her things into her bag. "You're beginning to look like Death warmed over."

"See you, Poppy. Thanks for everything," Harry said, seeing her to the door.

Once she was gone, Harry gratefully returned to his bed, snuggled up to Severus, and passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Sorry I've been rather patchy on getting this story updated. I've been writing it while I'm at one of my jobs, and when I have a day off there, I work my other job. So I'm updating at 3:30 am, because I wanted to get this out to you guys. Hope you're enjoying this story.  
>- Freake<p> 


	4. Here Come the Friends

"Ronald, how long has it been since we're heard from Harry?" Hermione asked, noticing the lack of Hedwig.

"A couple days, I think," Ron said, after swallowing his mouthful of eggs. "Kind of odd, eh?"

"It is, she said, fetching a quill. "I'm going to write Professor McGonagall and see it we can visit for the weekend."

"Include Draco," Ron said. "He mentioned not having heard from Severus yesterday. I'll talk to him at work today."

"Okay," she said, writing the note to Minerva.

Once Pigwidgeon was out the window, the two apparated to work.

* * *

><p>Sirius was on alert when Harry missed breakfast. It was highly unusual for his godson to skip a meal.<p>

"Hey, Rem," Sirius said, gently poking the other man.

"Hm," Remus absently responded, buttering a roll.

"Where's our cub?" the other man asked.

"Remus perked up at the question, glancing around the Head table. Harry and Severus' seats were both empty.

"It appears that Severus is missing as well," Remus said, looking to Sirius. "They're probably still sleeping off the exhaustion from the full moon."

"Yeah, Harry looked pretty haggard yesterday," Sirius said.

"It happens when you deeply care for someone," Remus said, looking affectionately at Sirius.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Draco!" Ron called, chasing the blonde through the Atrium.<p>

"What's up, Ron?" Draco asked, slowing so Ron could catch up to him.

"Hermione wrote Minerva this morning, asking if we could stay at the castle this weekend," Ron said. "We included you, so the invitation is there."

"I was just thinking about doing that myself," Draco said. "I haven't heard anything from Severus since the day of the full moon."

"I'll let you know what she says, then," Ron said, smiling. "I better get back to work."

"Thanks, Ron," Draco said, smiling himself.

* * *

><p><em>After around two weeks or traveling, Harry and Severus stopped to set up camp for the next couple of days.<em>

"_We are in need of drinking water, Harry," Severus said, after they had set up their tent._

"_Couldn't we just magic some?" Harry asked. "I mean Aguamenti should be able to provide drinkable water."_

"_Aguamenti is an alternative," Severus said, smirking at the young man. "Although, I can hear a creek just beyond that hedge. It should be clear enough to drink."_

"_I'll go check," Harry said, grabbing their canteens._

_After Harry left, Severus set about finding some meat for them to eat. He successfully trapped a couple of rabbits and set about cooking them._

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Harry bellowed suddenly._

_Severus froze, unsure if Harry would need his assistance. After a few minutes, a silver wolf cantered into their campsite just ahead of Harry._

"_When did your patronus change, Harry?" Severus asked, thoroughly confused._

"_The first time, or the second time?" Harry asked, as he let his wolf fade away._

_Severus took several minutes to comprehend what he just heard._

"_Your patronus has changed more than once?" Severus asked, extremely bewildered._

"_Yep," Harry said, flopping on the ground._

"_But that's..." Severus said, his thought trailing off._

"_It's unheard of," Harry said. "I did a little research, and there were numerous reports of patronuses changing once, but never twice. Again, I'm something special."_

"_When did it change the first time?" Severus asked, having regained control of his speech._

"_I'm unsure when it happened exactly, but I realized it on the Horcrux hunt. Apparently we decided to camp next to a colony of Dementors, and I went to clear them out while we were there," Harry said, tending to the rabbits. "That's when I noticed my stag turned into a snake."_

"_A snake?" Severus asked, confused again. "Why would it have turned to a snake?_

"_My heart belongs to a snake," Harry said, cryptically. "And my patronus changed to a wolf right around when my snake got attacked by a werewolf."_

_Severus sat in stunned silence as Harry finished cooking the rabbits. There were so many thoughts jumbled in his head._

"Harry was -no is- in love with a Slytherin who was attacked by a werewolf?" _Severus thought. "_How many other Slytherins had been attacked?"

* * *

><p>Harry opened his eyes, smiling slightly. He always slept better when Severus was next to him. He glanced at the older man, smiling warmly.<p>

Severus was lying on his side, slightly curled in on himself, except for one arm, which was thrown over Harry's torso.

"_He's so handsome when he's asleep._" Harry thought, gently carding his fingers through the older man's hair.

Severus stirred slightly as Harry's fingers moved through his hair. He cracked an eye and looked up at Harry, who still had a small smile on his face. He closed his eye and Severus feigned sleep, not wanting Harry to stop.

"I'm so lucky to have this chance," Harry said, softly. "This chance to be around you and get to know you. I'm sure there are very few people who have gotten to see you like this, and I'm extremely thankful that I can be counted in that small group.

"We may have had a rocky beginning while I was in school, but we've worked through our problems, and we've become so much closer than I ever thought possible.

"You are an astounding man, Severus. You've over some so much, and you're so far from the cold, hard man you once were. I hope you realize just how much you mean to me."

Severus moved closer to Harry, afraid that his voice would betray him. Harry welcomed the older man's weight into his arms. They sat together like that for a short while.

"Harry," Severus said, looking up to the younger man. "I'm starving."

"Let's go to the Hall, Sev," Harry said. "I'm sure dinner just started.

* * *

><p>Ron, Hermione, and Draco met on the steps to the castle, each of them holding a bag.<p>

"Ready or not," Draco said, nervously. He hadn't returned to the castle since he left after his 7th year.

"Here we go," Hermione said, clutching Ron's hand. They hadn't seen the castle since it was half destroyed in the final battle.

The trio climbed the steps and pushed the front doors open.

"Ron, Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Draco?" Severus said, looking at his godson.

The couple had just emerged from the passage leading to their quarters and a spare apartment.

"Oh, Harry!" Hermione cried, throwing herself into her friend's arms. "We've been so worried about you!"

"Sorry. I haven't really had a chance to write the last couple of days," Harry said. "I've been extraordinarily knackered."

"We had a rough moon," Severus said, after shaking hands with Ron and Draco. "Harry was most helpful though."

After Hermione composed herself, Harry stepped back to Severus' side and slipped an arm around the older man's waist. Severus, in turn, slid an arm around Harry's shoulders and smiled slightly. Hermione smiled a bit as she saw the small smile on her ex-professor's face.

"Are you guys just here for the night?" Harry asked.

"Professor McGonagall said we could stay for the weekend," Ron said. "Figured we could have a chance to just hang out and catch up or something."

"Sounds like a plan," Severus said, tightening his arm around Harry slightly. "However, may I suggest we go to dinner? I am absolutely starving!"

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know I don't update regularly, but I don't write regularly either. I write in the few short minutes at the end of my shift at work, usually, so it takes a few days, to a week or so, so complete a chapter. Hopefully you guys don't mind too much.

I know Sev is WAY OOC, but you know what? I don't really care. He's kind of fun to write like this. But if you like the harsh Sev, just wait. I'm sure he'll pop up eventually.

Thanks for sticking with me.  
>-SlytherinFreake<p> 


	5. Breaking the Surface

After dinner, the quintet headed to the spare rooms near Harry and Severus' quarters.

"It's very nice of Professor McGonagall to let us stay nearer to you two," Hermione said, after she, Ron, and Draco got themselves settled.

"I've requested that any guest coming to see Severus or myself be allowed to stay near us, instead of having to traipse through the entire castle," Harry said, grinning. "It also means Severus has somewhere to send me when I'm being asinine."

The look in Harry's eyes was, fortunately, lost to everyone else in the room.. There was a slightly haunted look, as if he was trying to hide something from everyone.

Hermione, Ron, and Draco chuckles at this. Severus entered the room with tea. He was feeling somewhat out-of-sorts, have very little positivity in his history with Harry's friends. He set the tea on the table and took a seat next to Harry on the couch.

"How have you been handling your transformations, Severus?" Draco asked. "I don't recall you being away from work for more than a day."

"From what Harry has told me, Poppy believes that this moon affected me more so than usual because it was the anniversary of my infection," Severus said. "I intend to do some research on this matter."

"If you'd like, Professor Snape," Hermione said. "I could help with your research a little. I believe the Ministry has some extensive, little known, reference material. I would be more than happy to copy some of it and owl it to you."

"That would be greatly appreciated, Hermione," Severus said, inclining his head to her. "And, if you'd like, you can call me Severus."

Hermione nodded, as her face went through a few shades of red. Ron looked at Severus in disbelief.

"How is working as an Auror, Ron?" Harry asked, scooting a little closer to Severus.

"It's alright," Ron said, putting an arm around Hermione. "It's been pretty boring lately, though. After we rounded up all the rogue Voldemort supporters, not a lot has been happening. I'm essentially a desk jockey now."

Severus had stiffened slightly when Harry moved closer to him, completely flat-footed and unsure of himself. He blanched when Ron put his arm around Hermione, unsure of Harry's expectations for him.

"I'm pretty happy about my decision to go to the Ministry," Draco said. "With the help I've gotten to help clear my name, and the job I subsequently got, I'm able to prove that I'm must more than my father ever was."

"What's great to head, Dray," Harry said, smiling brightly.

"Dray?" Severus said, caught off-guard.

"You never told him, did you?" Draco asked Harry.

"I haven't gotten around to it," Harry said. "I haven't told those two either."

"Well, do you want to tell them, or should I?" Draco asked, shaking his head and smirking.

"Well, Draco and I are cousins," Harry said, cautiously. "We found out when I was helping him out og the Death Eaters grasp."

"Apparently, the Evans line is descended from a well hidden Squib in the Malfoy lineage," Draco said. "What blood purist would ever admit to being related to a "filthy" Squib in those days."

"When my mum was sorted at Hogwarts, Sirius had already had a suspicion that she was more than just a random muggleborn," Harry said. "While I was cleaning Grimmauld, I found a file about the Evans lineage."

"My great-great-great-great granduncle Randolph disappeared from the Malfoy family records right around the time Ralph Evans instated the Evans lineage," Draco said.

"There are still Malfoy traits being passed along the line, but they aren't as prominent," Harry said. "Sirius must have noticed something about my mom that prompted his research."

Severus, Hermione, and Ron said in silence, looks of surprise and disbelief on their faces. Harry and Draco exchanged sheepish looks and waited for the imminent explosion of questions.

After a short silence, Severus slowly turned to Harry.

"You are distantly related to my godson?" he asked, fighting to keep his voice from raising.

"Yes," Harry said, visibly frightened. "But I've known less than a year, Severus."

"Why was I not informed of this when you discovered this tidbit of information?" Severus asked, his voice clipped. He was imperceptibly fighting to control his wolf and slowly losing.

"I never really had the chance. We've been rather busy. With classes, teacher duties, and dealing with Gefhar, there hasn't been much of a chance," Harry said, shying away from the older man. He had seen Severus like this before, but it still scared him senseless.

Upon hearing it's name, Severus' wolf backed down. The fear in Harry's voice also was a factor.

"I'm going to our quarters, Harry," Severus said. "I'd like to have a private word with you."

Harry just nodded as the older man left the room.

Draco moved to sit next to his cousin, who was visibly shaken by Severus' actions.

"What was that, Harry?" Draco asked, gently.

"Severus tends to be a bit touchy for a few days after a full moon," Harry said quietly. "Most times, we're alone, but it seems much worse. I've found that mentioning his wolf helps him regain himself."

"Is that why you said "dealing with Gefhar," Harry?" Ron asked, leaning forward a little.

"Yes," Harry said. "I named him Gefhar because it means danger in another language. Since his wolf has a name, Severus named my Animagus form Arc."

"How do you cope with his out bursts?" Hermione asked, after moving to give Harry a hug.

"I usually stay over here," Harry said. "It gives him some space, but I can be close enough to help in case something happens."

"How often does he have episodes like this?" Ron asked, obviously worried for his best mate.

"This is the fourth time it's happened," Harry said, looking down. "I've noticed that it's happened every three months since he was infected. This was, unfortunately, the worst time."

Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry, who finally gave into the urge to cry. The four sat in relative silence for a long while.

* * *

><p>Once Severus entered his own rooms, he felt extremely ashamed of himself. He had almost lost control of his wolf in front of his mate's friends.<p>

"How am I going to make this up to Harry?" he asked the empty living room.

"Dobby knows how Professor Severus could attempt to make up to Master Harry," the house elf squeaked, appearing from the kitchen.

"What can I do, Dobby?" Severus asked, desperate for something.

"Master Harry has told Dobby that he does not know much about his family," the elf squeaked. "If Professor Severus wants to give Master Harry some information on his family, Dobby is sure Master Harry would be most happy!"

"Would you be able to help me, Dobby?" Severus asked, immediately interested in this task.

"Dobby is most happy, Professor Severus asked for help," the elf chirped. "I knows where to start looking!"

"Thank you , Dobby," Severus said, earning a watery smile from the elf. "We should start on this as soon as possible."

"Yes, Professor Severus," Dobby said, bowing. "Dobby will get started right away."

With a small pop, Severus was alone. He went over to his desk and began writing letters to anyone he knew that knew the Potters or the Evans.

* * *

><p>"Thanks for being here for me, guys," Harry said, once he stopped crying. "I should really go talk to Severus before he gets even more upset with me."<p>

"You're more than welcome to come back here tonight, Harry," Draco said. "I know how stubborn Severus can be."

"Thanks, Dray," Harry said, smiling slightly. "I think I should be alright."

After getting hugs from his friends, Harry left to go back to his and Severus' quarters. He stopped outside the portrait and took a couple deep breaths to steady his nerves.

"Magnus," Harry said, causing the portrait to swing open.

Her nervously entered their quarters. When he didn't find Severus in the living room, he relaxed a little. Harry sat on the sofa and closed this eyes, letting himself relax more.

"Harry?" Severus asked, after he entered the living room a short while after he heard the portrait open and close.

Harry opened his eyes and was greeted by a very sheepish looking Severus Snape.

"Yes?" he asked, sitting up a little.

"I know I couldn't apologize enough for what happened before," Severus said, kneeling in front of his younger mate. "I just want you to know that I regretted my actions immediately. I just hope that you would be willing to forgive me."

Harry regarded Severus slowly. He took in the vulnerability in his eyes, the kneeling position, and, most of all, the fear that was in his voice.

"I don't know, Severus," Harry said, carefully. "You acted like a right arse. In front of my best friends. Just because I hadn't found the time to tell you some minor thing about myself."

Harry glared at Severus, who started to shrink in on himself.

"However," Harry said, lifting Severus' chin to look into the older man's eyes. "I do know that you fought very hard to prevent your actions. I know you're very sorry, and I accept your apology and forgive you."

Severus smiled widely as tears started rolling down his cheeks. He threw his arms around Harry and felt Harry's arms wrap around him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yeah, I was having a kind of crappy night at work, and I guess I wanted to write myself some angst. Not exactly something I had originally planned for this, but it works, and opens up a couple new avenues down the road.

I don't know where the whole Draco and Harry being distantly related thing comes from, but it could be fun to write out the family history as the story goes. I plan on mentioning more about Sirius' research eventually.

Also, there was no flashback/dream sequence in this chapter, but I don't think there was a good place to put it.

Thanks for reading!  
>-Freake<p> 


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